


The Witch Hunters

by ClarysCakes



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt Clary Fray, Hurt Isabelle Lightwood, Hurt Jace Herondale, Hurt Simon Lewis, Injured Maia Roberts, M/M, Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU, witch hunter AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-08-20 10:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16554473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClarysCakes/pseuds/ClarysCakes
Summary: Have you ever wanted something so bad, that you would risk your life for it? Clary Fray is a young teen in high school who is living a life that couldn’t be more perfect. She has great friends and a wonderful family. But when she meets the man in her strange dream the night before, Jace Herondale, the new transfer student in her class, he shows her and her best friend Simon that there is always something sinister lurking near. Clary comes to learn that her life isn’t as perfect as it seems when she is given the chance to change it.





	1. I First Met Him in a Dream

Clary ran as fast as she could through the black and white halls. The floor beneath her was identical to the walls, which were painted in black and white checkerboards. The open sky above her was black. All that could be seen were strangely designed tapestries that rotated slowly. The faster she ran, the more the walls, the floor, and the sky changed.  
The redhead finally stopped to catch her breath when a long black and white staircase with a green exit sign at the top appeared in front of her. She hesitated for a moment, letting herself catch her breath before she climbed the tall staircase.  
At the top, there was a door painted entirely black. Clary pushed it with all she had, revealing an eerie grey sky, with shattered buildings surrounding her. A giant being floated above the sky. At the top were layers of gears, varying in all widths and sizes. Below it was a horrible monstrosity with an odd-shaped face. It had arms that went out at it's sides and a long blue dress that reached the gears. Behind it was a colorful tapestry that rotated in a circle as it followed the being.  
Clary walked to the edge of the balcony to get a closer look at the horrible creature. Below her, she noticed a man who appeared to be a little older than her getting ready to fight. He took a stance and then jumped towards the creature. Broken buildings were being thrown around at the man as if they weighed nothing. The creature stayed untouchable. He dodged every attack, and used his shield to protect himself when he couldn't escape the hit.  
"That's horrible!" Clary said out loud.  
"You can't help it." A voice responded. The redhead looked down to see another creature looking up at her. It appeared a lot more friendlier. It had the appearance of a white and pink cat. "One person can't handle this alone." She continued. "But he knew that and came here anyway."  
Clary watched the man stumble from the attacks. He grunted as slammed into a building behind him. "No! This isn't right, it's too much for him!" The man looked over to see Clary next to the creature and yelled something, but she couldn't hear him.  
"If he gives up, it's over." The little creature spoke. Clary looked at him once more with worry in her eyes, then turned to the creature. "But, you have the power to change this destiny." Clary gasped and covered her ears as she heard the giant creature attack again. "All this tragedy, all this destruction! You have the power to change it if you want. The power to do so lies within you."  
"I can change it?" Clary asked as confirmation. She turned to see the man plummeting to the ground. "Even someone like me can do something? Can I really change how this ends?"  
"Of course you can! Just make a contract with me." She said. "Become a witch hunter!" The creatures voice trailed off as Clary's surroundings grew dark. She closed her eyes and opened them again to see her room. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up and yawned. "What a crazy dream?" She thought to herself.  
"Good morning dad." Clary said as she walked past the garden. Through the window she could see her father working in the garden.  
"Morning Clary!" Valentine said as he turned to her. "Your mother is in the kitchen with Jonathan making breakfast. They might need some help though."  
"Alright!" She responded before turning to head into the kitchen.  
As Clary, Jocelyn, and Jonathan made breakfast, the two girls talked. "What's happening in your world?" Jocelyn asked while putting the bread in the toaster.  
"Well, Maureen got another gig at a restaurant to sing. It's the second one this month."  
Jocelyn smiled, "That's great for her! And how about Simon? Does he know that Maureen has feelings for him?"  
"No," Clary sighed, "he likes Maia, but he gets love notes from Heidi a lot."  
"How childish of her. That's probably why Simon hasn't said anything about her." Jonathan added.  
The two siblings sat down at the table and Jocelyn grabbed the toast. Took his gloves off and walked into the room. He washed his hands and grabbed the coffee pot. "You all better hurry up." He said, "School starts soon and you can't afford to be late." His eyes navigated over to Jonathan who sighed and pushed out his seat.  
"Only three times!" He said as he grabbed his food and his bag.  
Jocelyn laughed, "Yeah, only three times this month!" She took a sip of her coffee and looked at Clary, "You should probably get going too. Simon and Maureen are probably waiting for you outside."  
The redhead nodded and grabbed the last of her breakfast. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and ran out the door. "See you later!" She yelled before the door shut.

"What took you so long?" Simon yelled as Clary ran towards him and Maureen.  
"Sorry!" She said as she caught up to them, "I was helping my mom and Jonathan make breakfast."  
Maureen looked at Clary up and down and smiled, "Ooh honey you look nice!"  
"You guys are wearing the same outfit." Simon responded as he pushed up his glasses. The high school they went to was a prestigious private school, which meant they all had to wear uniforms.  
"Don't you think I know that?" Maureen replied, "It's something different though. Did you wear any new makeup or dye your hair a different shade?"  
Clary shook her head and Maureen smiled, "It's that natural radiance stuff most girls have. You should be lucky Clarissa." She said with a jokingly stern voice.  
"Oh, by the way." Clary started, "If you're not busy, Simon and I are heading over to the mall after school. Do you want to join us?" She asked.  
"Ugh," Maureen sighed, "I'd love to but I have singing lessons today. My mom says I need to practice for my next gig."  
"And that's one perk of not being a famous singer." Simon responded.  
Maureen laughed, "I'm not famous Simon... Yet."

"I have a very important issue to discuss today." Mr.Aldertree, the trio's homeroom teacher said. "Is the correct way to fry an egg sunny-side up or down?" He pointed to a student sitting I'm the front, "Come on Mr.Raj I don't have all day!"  
"Uhh..." Raj stuttered, "I, uhh... you can fry it either way can't you?"  
Mr.Aldertree nodded, "Yes precisely, you can fry it either way. This is why you should never judge a person's appearance by the way they fry their eggs! Remember students, never associate with someone who refuses to eat their eggs sunny-side down!"  
"I guess it didn't work out." Simon said as he turned to Clary.  
"Whatever made you think that?"  
Mr.Aldertree took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Well, now that that's out of the way, lets give a big warm welcome to our new classmate!"  
Simon sighed, "Maybe that should have come first?"  
"Come on in Mr.Herondale, don't be shy." Their teacher said.  
A tall boy with blonde hair walked into the room quietly. All of the girls gasped and drooled over the handsome new student that entered the room.  
"Woah, he's super gorgeous!" Maureen whispered quietly to Clary. Murmurs could be heard from all of the students as he made his way to the board.  
Clary gasped as she looked at his face. An image of her dream the night before flashed before her eyes. He was the man in her dream. "No way." She whispered.  
"Why don't you tell the class a little about yourself." Mr.Aldertree said.  
"My name is Jace Herondale, it's nice to meet you." He said to the class. His eyes wandered over to Clary, and she gasped slightly.

The redhead watched as a group of girls talked to Jace. They seemed to be talking his ears off, asking him questions about where he came from and if he played any sports.  
"There's something awfully mysterious about that boy." Maureen said to her friends, "Don't you think?"  
Simon turned to the redhead, "Hey Clary, do you know that boy? I could have sworn he was glaring at you when he first walked in."  
"Well, I'm not really sure." She responded.  
"I'm sorry, I think today's been a little too stressful for me. I'm not feeling well. Could you please excuse me. I'm going to the nurse's office." Clary heard the boy say to the group of girls.  
One of them gasped, "Oh! Of course! Do you want me to bring you down?"  
"Oh yeah, can I come too?"  
Jace shook his head, "No, no, don't trouble yourselves. I'll just have the nurse's aid bring me." He stood up and walked over to the trio. "Clary Fairchild, you are the nurse's aid for this class are you not?" Taken back, Clary tripped over her words, unable to form a sentence. "Will you please bring me to the nurse's office?"

The two of them walked in silence in the empty school halls. Clary awkwardly followed Jace, wondering how he knew his way considering he was new. A few minutes later, he stopped and turned around to face her. "Clary, do you treasure the life you currently live, and you consider your family and your friends precious?" He spoke seriously.  
Clary was taken back by his random question, "Well uh.. of course I do, I mean I, I do! I love them very much and I think they're very precious to me!"  
"Do you mean it?" He asked.  
The redhead nodded, "Of course I do! I can't lie about that!"  
"Good, because if that's the truth, then you wouldn't try changing the life you have, or the person you are. Otherwise, you would lose everything you love. Don't change, stay as you are." He said as he turned to continue walking, "Stay as you are, forever." He repeated as he walked down the hallway.

"He said what?" Simon asked as he and Clary ate their lunch at the mall.  
Clary nodded, "I know, it doesn't made any sense, does it?"  
Simon put a hand to his head, "and here I was thinking he was this awesome guy but it turns out he's a total psycho!" He groaned, "I hope he doesn't think acting like a weird transfer student is cool! That's so lame it makes me sick!" He said, holding his stomach. Clary nodded as she took a sip of her drink. "Are you sure you've never met him before?" He asked her.  
"Well I guess the sensible answer would be yes." She responded, unsure of herself.  
"Sensible? What do you mean Clary, you either met him or you didn't."  
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I first saw him in a dream, or something."  
The dark haired boy laughed at his friend and she blushed. "Come on that's mean! It's really bugging me!"  
"What happened when you met her in your dream?" He asked.  
"Well that's the thing, I can't remember. All I remember is that it was really strange and spooky."  
Simon ate a French fry, "If you want my opinion, I think it's entirely possible that you met Jace before. You might not remember meeting him, but your subconscious definitely took note of it, and brought his image back up in your dream."  
"That's a heck of a coincidence don't you think?" She responded.  
"Perhaps." He answered. He looked down at his phone and noticed the time. "Hey, we should head to the music store before its too late."  
Clary nodded, "Something for Maia again?"  
"Yeah," Simon said as they stood up and left.  
Little did the duo know that below them, a small cat-like creature was running for it's life as bullets shot at it. Behind the creature, Jace Herondale dropped down from the ceiling and ran after it.

Clary looked through the aisles of CD's and headsets and put a pair of headphones on. She listened to the music, nodding her head to the beat of the song, until she heard a voice in her head saying, "Help me!"  
The redhead took the headphones off in confusion as she heard the words "Clary, help me!" repeat in her head. She looked around and followed the sound of the voice. She walked down the hall and down the stairs to an area that was under construction. Simon slowly trailed behind her to see where she was going.  
"Hello?" Clary asked. "Who are you? Do I know you?" She stopped in the dark, dimly lit room and looked around. The words "help me" repeated one more time in a soft whisper. "Where are you?" A panel of the ceiling opened up and the small creature fell down to the ground in front of her. She gasped and crouched down, cradling the hurt animal in her arms. "Is that you?" She asked and the animal nodded.  
All of a sudden, a long string of metal chains fell from the ceiling in front of the redhead. Se looked up to see Jace Herondale staring her down. "Jace?"  
"Get away from that creature." He said sternly.  
"But, she's really hurt!" Clary responded. "Leave her alone! Why are you trying to kill her?"  
The blonde walked towards her, "This doesn't concern you."  
"But she was calling me! I could hear her calling my name, she was asking me to help her!"  
"Oh really?" He spoke. He glared at her silently as she looked up at him fearfully. Her heartbeat quickened as he went to take a step closer to her, until the smoke and foam of a fire extinguisher short towards the man in front of her. Clary gasped and looked over to see Simon holding the extinguisher.  
"Over here Clary! He yelled. Simon through the extinguisher at Jace and the two of them ran away. Jace raised his hand and the smoke disappeared. He looked around as the world around them transformed. Images of butterflies and weird patterns took place of the floor and walls. As if the world around him was made of paper, a hole was ripped through it and the world turned into a hazy labyrinth full of images of crazy things. "Why is this happening now?" He said frustratedly to himself.  
"Now he's attacking you in all black! What's his problem? What are you holding?" Simon asked as they ran.  
"I don't know! I don't know why this is happening! We have to save her!" The world around them morphed into the labyrinth that Jace was in.  
"Where did the exit go? Where are we?" Simon yelled. The two of them stopped running and huddled close, the creature still in Clary's arms.  
"I don't like this place." Clary said as the world spun around them. "Everything keeps changing!  
Simon gasped, "Oh crap! What the heck is going on?" He yelled.  
Clary shook, "There's something over there! She said as a group of creatures stood up and walked towards them. They appeared to be cotton balls with mustaches that looked like they were colored in with crayons. They had weird straw like arms, legs, and a torso.  
The duo hugged each other in fear as the creatures walked closer to them, chanting in an unknown language.  
"This is some kind of joke, right?" Simon said, "I'm stuck in a bad dream, but, I can't be dreaming, right Clary?" She was frozen in fear as scissors and thorns grew closer to them. A long string of chains fell down from above, circling around them until a burst of warm yellow energy destroyed everything around them.  
"What's happening?" Clary asked.  
"Well that was close, wasn't it?" A voice said from behind them. They turned around to see a tall boy with dark hair walking towards them, holding a trinket in his hands, "Don't worry, you're safe now." He told them. "Oh thank the angels, you rescued Lilith for me." He looked at the creature in Clary's arms and smiled. "I'm very grateful, she's a dear friend of mine and I was so worried."  
"She.. she called out to me." Clary told him. "I could hear her voice in my head."  
"Ah, I see." The man said, "I can tell by your uniforms that you go to Idris High School, are you sophomores?"  
"Who are you?" Simon asked as the world around them continued morphing.  
The man laughed, "Oh that's right, I forgot to introduce myself. But that's going to have to wait a bit." He said as the scissors began to reappear. He threw the golden trinket in the air and it transformed into a bow. His quiver filled with arrows appeared on his back, "Please excuse me. I have to wrap this up real quick." The man said as he pulled out an arrow. He shot all of the monsters with his arrows and everything around them exploded.  
"Wow." Clary said in shock as the world faded back to normal. The duo grew quiet as Jace walked over to the man with dark hair. He looked angry.  
"The witch managed to escape, if you wanna finish it off you'd better go after it." He said. "I won't mind if you take it this time."  
"But I still have work to do here." Jace responded.  
The man laughed, "You don't understand, do you? I'm telling you, I'm willing to overlook this." Jace glared at him, not responding. "Honestly, do you really want to do this right now?" Jace stood there quietly as the man smiled at him. He sighed and turned around, leaving the three of them alone. The duo of friends sighed in relief once he was out of sight.

The dark haired man and the two friends sat on the ground as he healed Lilith. After a few moments, she sat up. "Oh thank you Alec!" She said, "You're a lifesaver!"  
"I'm not the one you should be thanking, they saved you. I was just passing by." He responded.  
Lilith turned to the duo, "Thank you so so much! My name is Lilith!"  
"We're you the one who was calling for help?" Clary asked her.  
"That's right Clary Fairchild!" She responded. Clary gasped as she went on, "And Simon Lewis!"  
The brunet gasped, "How do you know our names?"  
"I came here because I have a favor to ask you both."  
"Huh, what do you need?" Clary asked.  
"I want you to make contracts with me, and become witch hunters!"


	2. That Would Be Truly Wonderful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My name is Alec Lightwood, I'm a senior at Idris High School, And.. once I made a contract with Lilith, I became a Witch Hunter.

Alec opened the door to his apartment and let Clary and Simon in. He closed the door behind him as the two younger teens looked at his home.   
     "Cool apartment!" Simon said.  
     Alec smiled warmly, "I live alone so make yourselves at home, although as far as refreshments go, I don't have much." He walked into the kitchen and the duo sat down at the coffee table in the living room. Lilith trailed behind them, sitting herself down at another end of the table.   
     Alec walked back into the room with cups of coffee. He placed them down on the table for each of them. Clary and Simon thanked him as he sat down.  
     "Since Lilith chose the two of you, you are both involved in this now like it or not. I thought it would be good for us to have a talk."  
     Simon nodded his head, "Ask us anything you want!" He chuckled.  
     Clary laughed, "Simon, you've got it wrong." Alec held out the little trinket he was holding earlier when they had first met.   
     "This is a soul gem." He said, "When Lilith chooses someone, it is created when you make a contract with her. It's the source of our magic and abilities to fight. It also proves that we are Witch Hunters."  
     "What's this contract?" Simon asked.  
     "I will grant each of you one wish. Any wish you desire." Lilith explained to him.  
     Simon gasped, "What? For real?"   
     "Anything at all?" Clary chimed in.  
     Lilith nodded, "Yes. I can grant the most impossible miracles. In exchange for your wish, your soul gem is created. But if you have a soul gem, it will be your duty to fight witches."  
     "Witches?" Clary asked.   
     "What is a Witch anyways?" Simon said curiously.  
     "Us Witch Hunters are born from wishes, and Witches are born from curses." Alec said. "We bring hope to the world, but witches bring despair. Since they are invisible to the world, that just makes them that more insidious."  
     "Anxiety, mistrust, and hatred. They sow the seeds of disaster." Lilith added.  
     "Suicides without a cause, and murders without motive are most likely caused by a witches curse." Alec said.   
     "And," Lilith spoke, "the reason why people don't know about them is because they are careful about their actions. They hide inside the labyrinths they create."   
     "Is that what we were inside earlier today? You know, the maze-like place?" Clary asked.  
     "Precisely." Alec answered. "You both were in a lot of danger, actually. Most humans that enter a labyrinth seldom make it out alive."  
     Clary frowned, "Is that what you do? Fight these horrible creatures Alec?"  
     "Yes, I risk my life." The dark haired man said. "That is why the two of you must think carefully about your decision. Yes Lilith can grant you a wish, but you must remember that it will become your duty as Witch Hunters to fight and kill witches. Death is part of this deal."  
     Simon sighed, "Now I'm stressed."   
    Alec nodded, "I know, it's a tough decision. But maybe it'll help you decide by coming along on a few witch hunts with me? You can see for yourselves what it's like to hunt witches. Think about this long and hard. Is there something you want so badly, that you would risk your life for it?"

     Clary walked down to the path where Simon and Maureen met her. "Good morning you guys!" She said as she walked towards them.  
     "Good mor-" Simon stuttered as he noticed Lilith perched on Clary's shoulder.  
     "Good morning Simon." Lilith said. "Don't worry, your friend can't see me."   
     Maureen turned around, "Is there something wrong? You look worried."   
     Simon laughed nervously and turned to face her, "Nope, there's nothing wrong. Let's go!" He said as he took her hand and pulled her forward.  
     "We can talk to each other telepathically." Clary said to Simon through telepathy.   
     "What? You mean we already have magical powers?" Simon turned back to face Clary in awe.   
     "No, not yet. I'm letting you two talk telepathically." Lilith responded.   
     "How can the two of you know what the other is thinking just by looking at each other? Only intimacy can do that! What happened between you two after school?" Maureen said.  
     Simon laughed and Clary spoke up, "Well, it's a long story."  
     "I can't believe this! You can't be serious!" She turned around and ran away from the two of them.  
     "I can't believe she went there." Simon said, still laughing. 

      "Are you sure this is okay? I mean, tagging her along to school and everything. You do remember that psycho transfer student Jace is in our class." Simon asked Clary.  
     "Actually, the high school is probably the safest place for me. Besides, Alec is here." Lilith explained.  
"But Alec is a senior, he's on the other side of the school." Clary stated in confusion.  
"He's not that far." Lilith said.   
"She's right." Alec's voice said through their heads, "I can hear you all clearly. I promise I'll keep a close watch on all of you. Besides, do you really think he'll attack you in public?"  
     Jace walked into the room at took his seat, glaring back at the duo. 

     Clary thought back to the night before at Alec's apartment.   
     "Is Jace a Witch Hunter too?" Simon asked curiously.   
     Alec nodded, "There's no doubt about that. And he is quite powerful too."  
     Simon lightened up a bit, "so that means he's one of the good guys then, right? Why would he try to kill Lilith if you guys are both on the same side."  
     "I think he was trying to prevent me from making contracts with the two of you." Lilith said.   
     "If we're fighting the same enemy, wouldn't it be better if there are more of us?" Clary asked.   
     Alec shook his head, "Not necessarily. It's more common for Witch Hunters to fight each other."  
     "Really?" Clary was surprised, "how come?"  
     "When you kill a Witch, you receive a reward. This causes some Witch Hunters to fight. The winner gets the reward." Alec explained.  
     "Okay, hold up." Simon started, "the reason weird transfer student was staring at Clary yesterday was because she knew Lilith was planning on making a contract with her?"  
     "Most likely." Alec responded.

Clary and Simon sat outside during lunch. The two ate together and talked about everything that was going on.  
"Do you have any idea of what you would want to wish for?" Clary asked her friend as he ate his lunch.   
"Nope, I'm totally stumped. I've thought about it so much my brain is starting to hurt." He answered, "Of course there's all these things I would love to have, and stuff I would want to do. But, I guess it's the risk your life part. Nothing I want is worth that much." He told her,  
"That's so odd." Lilith spoke, "Most people accept my offer right away."   
Clary sighed, "I guess we don't know any better do we?"   
"We must be blissfully ignorant." Simon said, "Think about it. We haven't accepted the offer yet because we don't know what it's like to need something so desperately." The boy sighed, "It's not fair, is it? There's people out there who need this wish more than I do."   
"Simon." Clary said. Her attention shifted to the sound of footsteps growing near. She turned to see Jace walking towards them. Simon stood in front of Clary to protect her, ready to fight if he needed to.   
"It's alright." Alec's voice echoed through their heads. The duo turned to where the voice was coming from, to see him watching from a window inside the school. He was holding his soul gem in his hand.  
Jace glanced at him for a second before turning back to Clary and Simon.   
"Back for more huh?" Simon said angrily.  
Jace shook his head, "No." he looked at Lilith, "I wanted to kill it, before it came in contact with Clary. But I guess it's too late now." He was quiet for a moment. He stared at the cat-like creature, and then gazed up at Clary. "So now what? Are you going to make a contract with Lilith and become a Witch Hunter?"   
"Last time we checked it wasn't any of your business!" Simon spat.   
"I warned you, remember?" Jace asked, ignoring Simon's remark. Clary nodded silently. "Good." He said, "I hope my warning is not in vain. Goodbye." The blonde boy turned around and began to walk away.  
"Jace, wait!" Clary said, "I would like to know what you wished for!"  
Jace paused, his fists and jaw clenched. He didn't respond. He couldn't. He released the tension in his hands and continued walking, without looking back.

"Time to begin lesson one of the Witch Hunter experience." Alec said as he and the duo sat at a table in a coffee shop. "That's what I like to call it anyway."   
Simon reaches into his bag, "I don't know if it will make a difference, but..." he pulled out a large bat and held it in the air, "I brought this!"   
"Well, I'm glad you're going into it with that spirit." Alec said. 

In the room where the two first met Alec, they trailed behind him as he walked around. His soul gem pulsed with light. "It senses the magic residue of the Witch from yesterday." He told them. "We have to scour the city by foot. Once your soul gem picks up on the energy, follow it until you find the Witch." He opened the door to the exit and walked out with Simon and Clary trailing behind.  
"What now?" Clary said as they walked along the side of a bridge, "Your gem's not glowing any brighter."   
"It's because it's been a whole day since the Witch escaped. It's trail is almost completely faded."  
Clary felt a pang of guilt in her chest. If Alec had gone after the Witch instead of staying with her and Simon, he could have killed it and stopped it from causing more harm.   
"Hey Alec. When you're tracking a Witch, do you look anywhere special for them?" Simon asked.   
"Sometimes you can find Witch auras at the scene of deadly car crashes. So I check highways with a lot of traffic. Then, I check bridges and buildings where people go to commit suicide." He responded. "Then I check hospitals, the worst place for witches to hide. It's unbearable to see them draining the life force from a helpless person who's already weak from illness." The man stopped in his tracks. He looked down at his soul gem that pulsed faster. "It's picked up on a witch's aura. It's close."   
Alec ran to the nearest building with the duo trailing behind. He looked up to see a woman standing over the edge, barely hanging on.   
"Oh my god!" Simon said as the woman jumped. Alec ran to where the woman was falling, and lifted his arm up. Strings of magic formed as a stretcher to catch the woman. She slowly fell into the man's arms, and he laid her down on the ground.   
Alec knelt down as Clary and Simon crowded around the unconscious woman. He pointed to the strange marking on her neck, "This is a witch's kiss."   
"Is she dead?" Clary asked.  
Alec shook his head, "No, she just fainted. Let's go." The three ran into the building. They reached a staircase, where the door to the labyrinth appeared. He touched Simon's bat and let it transform into a stronger weapon.   
"Cool!" He said as he looked at it in awe.   
"Now, when we enter the labyrinth, stay close to me." Alec told him. Jace watched as the three of them jumped into the labyrinth.   
As soon as they arrived they were attacked by the cotton ball creatures. Alec killed them by using his bow and arrow, while Simon hit them with his bat. Clary stayed close between them with Lilith in her arms. They ran through the maze, fighting everything that came across their path.   
"Are you scared?" Alec asked as they ran.   
Simon laughed nervously, "yeah, as if!"  
Alec shot arrows at the creatures guarding the door that led to the Witch. Gravity pulled the three of them closer until they reached the room the Witch was in.   
The horrible creature looked like a drooping plant. It had a body the color of roots, and the head that looked like green moss with red flowers on it. It was tall and hunched over, and had butterfly wings stretched to the back.   
"That's the Witch." Alec said.  
"Gross." Clary said, "Are you really going to fight it?"   
Alec nodded, "Don't worry, I could never lose." He formed a barrier between them and the witch and jumped down to fight it. He smiled at the creature when he got it's attention and pulled out his bow and arrows. He shot them at the Witch as it threw objects at him. After every shot, he dodged the object. Alec looked down to see the witch's pets crawling up his legs. He tried to shake them off but they turned into a long rope that coiled around his legs. The dark haired man was thrown into the air by the coils. His body slammed against the wall, hitting his head hard, causing him to see black dots. They wrapped around his waist and lifted him over the Witch.   
"Alec!" Clary yelled. He looked over at her and smiled.   
"Don't worry, I'm okay." He said. He pulled out his arrows and he shot multiples at the Witch until it exploded. Alec was released from the coil, and he dropped down to the ground.   
"So, you won?" Simon asked as the world returned to normal.   
"Mhm." Alec said as he knelt down to pick up an object. It was round and black, and had a point at the end. "Remember when I told you that you can receive rewards after defeating witches?" The two nodded, "This is it. This is a grief seed, or a witch's egg." He looked at the panic on the duo's faces, "It's harmless, if anything, it's beneficial." He pulled his soul gem out of his pocket. It was tinted black, instead of its usual golden yellow shade.  
"What happened to it?" Simon asked.   
"My gem needs to be purified. It has to be done after every battle. A grief seed purifies it." He held the two next to each other, and watched and the black faded away, and yellow returned. "Now, the magic I used in battle was restored." Alec looked past them and threw the grief seed. Clary and Simon turned around to see it in Jace's hand. "That should be good enough for one more use." Alec said to him. "Take it, Jace Herondale."  
"It was your kill, so keep the reward for yourself." He threw it back at Alec.   
Alec frowned, "fine, so be it that way." Jace glared at him and turned around and began walking away.  
"He pisses me off so much." Simon said angrily. "What's his problem?" 

Outside of the building, Alec helped the woman sit up. "What... What happened?" She looked around and realized where she was, "Oh, Oh my god!" The woman began to cry, "I jumped but I don't know why!"   
Alec pulled her into a hug and comforted her, "Don't worry, you're safe. It was just a bad dream."   
Clary thought about everything that had happened. She still didn't know what to wish for, it wasn't easy for her to decide, but Alec tries so hard to help people, and he looks so amazing doing it. If someone like her could do something amazing like that, then, well that would be truly wonderful.


	3. I'm Not Afraid of Anything Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec reveals his past to Clary and Simon
> 
> The duo continue with their witch hunting trial run

Simon Lewis often found himself standing in the doorway of a hospital room that belonged to Maia Roberts. The two were good friends, nothing like him and Clary, but he always thought she was special. 

He held a CD case in his hand as he smiled dopily and the curly haired girl sitting up on the bed. To say he had feelings for her would be an understatement. 

"Hi Simon!" She said cheerfully as he made his way into her room. 

"Hey." He said as he sat down on the stool next to her bed. "I got this for you." He said as he handed her the CD. "I was shopping with Clary and it made me think of you." 

Maia smiled warmly and took the CD. The title read: Swan Lake, her favorite ballet. 

Before a terrible accident, Maia Roberts loved to dance. She could dance to any song for what seemed like forever. She wanted to make a career out of it until she became paralyzed. Now all she had was the memory. "The music in this is really beautiful." She said as she grabbed her earbuds off of her nightstand. "I've always wanted to perform in this ballet. Its so captivating and tells such a wonderful story." 

The boy loved hearing her talk about what she was passionate about. It made his feelings for her grow stronger. 

"Here, listen!" Maia said to him as she handed him one earbud. She put the other in her ear and he did the same. Simon blushed at the close contact between them. The music began playing and Simon realized Maia was right, it was beautiful. For a minute everything was fine, until the boy could he sniffles coming from the girl beside him. He looked at Maia to see her looking out the hospital window with tears streaming down her face. A wave of guilt washed over him, it probably wasn't a good idea to bring it in. After all, it was only a reminder that she could never dance again.

\--- 

Alec prepared himself for the last blow before he killed the monstrosity standing before him. He notched three glowing arrows onto the large bow and shot them at the creature. It exploded and soon the labyrinth around him, Clary, and Simon faded away. 

"Unbelievable, you're so cool Alec!" Simon said as he and Clary emerged from their hiding place. 

He smiled at the compliment and walked over to them, "This isn't supposed to be fun, don't forget that." 

"Roger that." Simon replied. 

"Where's the grief seed?" Clary asked curiously. 

"That creature I fought was not a witch, it was a familiar. Familiars don't leave grief seeds behind." 

Simon looked at him confused, "So what's the point in killing it?" 

"We can't let it run around and do harm. The longer it stays around, the sooner it'll become a witch." Alec explained. Lilith jumped onto his shoulder and he turned to face the road, "Let's go shall we?" 

 

"Have you two thought of anything to wish for?" The witch hunter asked them as the walked home. 

"No," Simon said, "how about you?" he looked over at Clary and she shook her head. 

Alec laughed, "That's not surprising, its hard to think when you're under pressure." 

Clary looked over at him, "Maybe it would help if you told us what you wished for." Alec stopped in his tracks. He frowned and looked down. "I'm sorry I don't mean to be nosy! It's fine if you don't want to say!" Clary told him anxiously. 

"For me it was different." He told the duo. Alec thought back to that horrible day. "I didn't have the luxury of thinking about it first." He paused, he felt a lump in his throat as he thought of where to begin. "My fiancé Magnus and I were on the freeway. We were driving safely and responsibly and everything. But, then a truck swerved and hit our car. I think we flipped about three times before stopping. I remember it was stuck upside down. I was trapped and my only view of the outside world was the shattered window. I felt weak and I suffered from severe injuries. I didn't think I was going to make it, that is until I saw Lilith." He wiped a stray tear that had fallen from his eye, "Magnus didn't survive, and I wouldn't have either if it weren't for Lilith." 

The duo were silent. They didn't know what to say.

"It's not that I regret my decision, I'm alive after all." He continued, "I think the life I'm living now is better than being dead, but if you have the chance to think long and hard about what you really want, then you should take as much time as you need." 

"Hey Alec, I was wondering." Simon began, "If you make a wish, does it have to be for yourself?"

"What?" The older teen asked in confusion.

"Well let's say hypothetically there's someone who's going through a lot more than I am, would it be bad if I used my wish to help her out?"

Clary looked up, "Are you talking about your Maia?"

"It's just a hypothetical!" Simon responded, blushing. 

Lilith spoke up, "You can wish for whatever you want. There's no rule saying you have to be the one who benefits from it."

Alec folded his arms, "I don't think thats the best idea. If you're going to use your wish for someone else's benefit, you want to know exactly why you're doing it. Are you really doing it for them, or yourself?"

"That was cold." Simon said, "I was just asking."

The witch hunter sighed, "Sorry, it's best that I say that now before it's too late. If you're not one hundred percent sure why you're doing it, then you'll regret it later."

"Huh, maybe I was being a little naïve there." Simon told him.

"There's no rush." Alec reminded him.

"Well," Lilith interrupted, "As far as I'm concerned, the sooner, the better."

"Don't be an instigator." Alec said jokingly to the animal as he continued walking home.

 

Clary laid on her bed and looked up at her ceiling. Her notebook was gripped tightly in her hand as her mind ran a million miles per minute. "Deciding what to wish for is a lot harder than I thought." She said to Lilith who was sitting on one of her throw pillows on her bed.

"As much as I wish I could, I can't force you to rush. I also can't persuade you or give any ideas." Lilith told her.

The redhead rolled to her side to face Lilith, "What if I wished to become a witch hunter. Is that possible?"

"Are you just looking to become powerful?" 

"No!" Clary denied, "Well, I don't know. Maybe a little. I'm not very great. I'm not that smart and I don't play any sports or anything. I can draw and thats about it. I feel like I'm useless to the world. But if I could become someone as wonderful and as cool as Alec, that would really make me happy."

"If you became a witch hunter there's no doubt you'd be much more powerful than Alec." Lilith told her.

"Huh?" Clary said in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"It's true, but a lot of it depends on the kind of wish you make." She explained, "I can't even begin to imagine how powerful the soul gem you would create would be. I've never met a person with as much potential as you have."

"You can't be serious." the redhead said.

"I most certainly am."

 

Alec Lightwood strolled the dimly lit streets of New York with his soul gem in his hand. He stopped in front of a fountain when he felt a presence behind him. He quickly turned his gem into a ring and slipped it onto his finger.

"You don't even care, do you?" Jace said. Alec turned around to see the blonde teen standing at the top of the staircase in front of him. "You're leading innocent people into danger."

"What are you talking about? Lilith chose them! They're a part of this now!" The dark haired boy responded.

"You're steering them to becoming witch hunters."

"And clearly you don't like that."

"No, especially since Clary Fairchild is involved." Jace said.

"Oh, I see." Alec smirked, "You see it too, her incredible potential."

"I won't allow it, she won't become like us."

"What are you afraid of someone more powerful coming along?" Alec asked

Jace glared daggers at the brunet, "I don't want to fight, but you leave me no choice."

"Then let's make sure we never see each other again." Alec said civilly. "We are no longer talking after tonight. Next time, you'll regret crossing paths with me." His voice was calm but cold. He didn't know much about Jace Herondale, but he did not trust him. Alec turned on his heels and continued walking away from the angry blond haired boy.

 

The next day, Clary and Simon went to visit Maia at the hospital. The redhead waited in the waiting room for his friend to come back down. "I guess she didn't want visitors today." Simon said as he stood in front of Clary. She stood up and they left the building. "I came all this way too. What a shame." He babbled.

Clary's attention was elsewhere. She looked at a crack in the wall of the hospital. At first it just seemed like it had been chipped but when her eyes focused in on it, she realized it was a grief seed getting ready to hatch. "Simon! A grief seed!" She said as she ran over to it. 

"It's about to hatch!" Lilith said.

"Why is it here?" Clary asked.

"This is bad, we have to get out of here!" the cat-like creature said to the duo. "A labyrinth is about to open up!"

Simon gasped, "Clary, do you have Alec's number on you?" She shook her head nervously. "Go find Alec and bring him back here. I'll stay and watch it." 

"If you stay and the labyrinth opens before Clary and Alec get back, it'll pull you in. Alec won't be able to get you out of there." 

"We'll lose track of the grief seed if the labyrinth opens up while we're gone." Simon argued, "I have to stay here." 

Lilith got down from Clary's shoulder and walked over to Simon. "Clary, go find Alec. I'll stay here with Simon. If we're not here, Alec can use telepathy to track my position." 

Clary nodded and ran as fast as she could to find Alec. As soon as she was gone, the grief seed lit up and exploded, causing the labyrinth to open and pull Simon and Lilith inside. Everything around them was decorated in colorful pills and syringes. It was dark and they could see things looming in the distance throughout the maze.

"Are you scared." Lilith asked Simon as he held onto her tightly.

"No." He lied. 

"Remember, you can always make a wish here and now to become a witch hunter."

"I know." He said, "If things get bad I just might." '

 

Ten minutes later, Clary was back at the hospital with Alec. Simon and Lilith were nowhere to be found. Clary led him to the crack in the wall where the grief seed used to be. "It was right here." She said. 

"It seems they're already inside. Let's go, and stay close to me!" He said. Alec opened the entrance to the labyrinth and the two stepped inside. "What's happening Lilith?" The boy asked through telepathy.

"We're okay." She said, "The witch hasn't hatched yet. Just come inside quietly so you don't disturb the grief seed."

Inside the labyrinth, Clary stayed close to Alec like she was told. He was quiet and he walked quickly. The boy hadn't said anything since they first entered.

"Are you alright Alec?" Clary asked, "You seem tense."

"I'm a little angry." He said, "Simon took a huge risk coming inside on his own. Yes he had Lilith but what if I couldn't make it. He'd be trapped and forced into a contract he may not be ready to make." Alec sighed, "I guess it was a good call on his part. Now we won't have to worry about the witch getting-" the dark haired boy stopped in his tracks and turned around. He looked past Clary and straight into the eyes of Jace Herondale. He huffed angrily, "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again!"

"Like it or not I'm hunting this witch." Jace said coldly. "Leave, now!"

"We're not going anywhere, Lilith and Simon are in there waiting for us!" Alec responded.

"And I'll make sure they get out unharmed." 

Alec laughed bitterly, "Do you honestly think I trust you?" He held out his hand and the ring on his finger glowed. Chains sprouted from the ground and locked around Jace's wrists, keeping him in place.

"You idiot! We don't have time for this!" Jace said as he pulled on the chains. Clary picked up on the change in his tone of voice. He seemed anxious and worried. "You don't understand! This witch is not like the others!" 

The other witch hunter folded his arms, "Like I'll believe you. I'll release you after we kill this witch." He pulled Clary by her elbow and they began to walk away.

"No! Don't!" Jace yelled as he fought against his restraints.

 

The redhead and her witch hunter friend walked down a long narrow hallway. It was dark, and on each of their sides were giant floating bottles of pills that lit up the dim room. They were quiet again. It was too quiet for Clary's liking. She was scared, terrified actually. Her best friend was inside the maze with a witch ready to hatch. Jace said that witch was not like the others, and he sounded sincere. Alec knew what he was doing, Clary knew he could handle it. She had seen him hunt before, he was incredible!

"A-Alec?" Clary spoke.

"What is it?" He asked without turning to look at her.

"I've been thinking about a bunch of wishes I could make." She told him.

He grinned slightly, "Like what?"

"Well, I might sound naïve and hopefully it doesn't upset you..." Clary pondered. "I'm not special or anything, I'm not very good at school and besides art, I don't have any talents. I fear that this is the way my life is going to stay. Always needing help and not being able to help others." She took a breath. Alec opened the door that led to the next room. It was more spacious and had different pathways to go down. "But then I met you Alec." Clary said, "As cliche as this sounds, you showed me how to be strong and help others. When I found out I might be able to do the same thing, I was ecstatic. That's my wish. If I could become a witch hunter, it would be a dream come true for me. I just really look up to you." She laughed nervously.

Alec stopped again. This time, he turned around to face Clary. "I don't deserve it." He shook his head, "I'm not as cool as you think. When I'm sad, scared, or hurt I don't have anyone to cry to. All I can do is cry on my own. I have no family, or friends. I'm all alone. It's not fun being a witch hunter." 

"But Alec." Clary started, "You're not alone anymore. You have me and Simon."

The boy smiled warmly, "You're right." He pulled the redhead into a hug - something he did not do often. "Will you really stay with me?"

Clary hugged him back, "Of course, if someone like me will do." She giggled.

"Now remember." He said as he pulled away, "You need to make sure your wish is worth trading your life for. Since it is a contract you could benefit from it. I would take advantage of that."

"Like what?" Clary asked. 

"I don't know, maybe unlimited art supplies, or the perfect boyfriend. Something you'll be happy with." Alec began walking again. "If you can't decide I'll just decide for you, how about that." He told her.

Clary gasped, "What if I don't like it?"

"Then you better think of something quick!" He joked. Alec was elated. He hadn't felt this happy since he was with Magnus. He finally didn't feel alone. He had someone who would be by him when darker times came, when he needed support, and when he needed a friend. 

"Alec!" Lilith shouted, bringing him out of his thoughts. "The grief seed is about to hatch, hurry!"

"I'm on my way." He said. The two of them ran to the enormous room Lilith and Simon were hiding in. 

Alec threw up a barrier that protected Clary from the creatures attacking them. The hunter dropped down and began shooting arrows at all of the creatures. He couldn't help but think while he was fighting about how happy he felt. He wasn't afraid of anything anymore, now that he wasn't alone. He destroyed the last creature and shot the door down. He grabbed Clary's hand and they ran through it leading to Simon and Lilith. "I'm here." He said as the two crouched down beside them.

"Be careful." Lilith said, "It's coming!" 

Alec looked up and saw a long slender dinner table set for two. The small witch emerged from the smoke and glitter and took a seat. Now was his chance to attack. He sprung up and used his seraph blade to cut the legs of the chair, knocking the witch down. "I hate to interrupt." He said as the witch continued to fall. "This won't take long!" He swung the blade at the witch, slicing it and sending it crashing to the ground. Alec laughed confidently and walked over to it. He took the blade and drove it right through the witch that was now lying on the ground. He heard cheering coming from Clary and Simon who were still hiding in their corner. 

The witch back-rolled and sprung up into the air. Alec lifted a hand and chains shot out, wrapping around the witch tightly, squeezing it until it would burst. But then things changed. All of a sudden a giant caterpillar like witch popped out of the smaller witch. Alec's heart dropped as it elongated and flew down towards him. All of his confidence was gone, but it was too late. 

Clary, Simon, and Lilith all watched the witch open it's mouth and bite down on Alec's neck. It pulled his body up into the air and clamped down. His decapitated body went limp and fell to the ground. The witch flew back down to eat the rest of his body, completely erasing him from existence. 

The two teens were mortified. They couldn't move, neither of them knew what to do. 

Lilith turned to face them, "Clary, Simon! One of you make a contract with me now, before it's too late!" She yelled.

"That won't be necessary." A voice said. The three of them turned to see Jace standing there, ready to fight. In a matter of minutes he took down the witch. 

The duo hadn't moved from their spot. They were traumatized. Alec was dead, they watched him die. Jace didn't seem to care. He walked over to them and bent down. There was a grief seed atop of Alec's bloody seraph blade. "Never forget what happened here. This is what it's like to be a witch hunter." The world around them reverted back to normal and Jace began to walk away with the seed.

"Give it back." Simon muttered as he began to stand up. Jace turned around to look at him but didn't say a word. "Give it back!" The dark haired boy said angrily. "It's Alec's! You can't have it!"

"You're right, it belongs to a witch hunter, which means neither of you have the right to touch it!" Jace said back. He looked at Simon's tear stained face and Clary who was still kneeling on the ground with her head down, and then continued walking away from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Miracles and Magic are Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After witnessing Alec's murder, Clary and Simon now fully realize the demands of being a witch hunter.
> 
> Clary is pulled into a labyrinth and Simon makes a big decision.

Simon knocked on the door to Maia's room to hear no response. He waited patiently and then invited himself in. To his surprise, the girl with the beautiful curls was not there. Her bed was made and her stuff was put away. 

The boy frowned and turned on his heels to head out of the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned up against the wall. 

"Are you here to see Maia?" One of the two nurses walking by asked. Simon nodded, "Her schedule was changed. She's in physical therapy right now." 

"Oh, okay." Simon responded somberly. "Thank you." He said as he turned to walk out.

"He comes to see her a lot, doesn't he?" One nurse said to the other.

"It's good he does." The other said, "She's a difficult case. She needs encouragement and I think he gives her that." 

"She was a dancer before the accident wasn't she?"

"Indeed. Unfortunately she's paralyzed and won't ever be able to dance again."

"Why did it have to be Maia?" Simon thought to himself in the elevator on the way down. "I can walk and dance around all I want. Why couldn't it have been me?" He sighed, "If I used my wish to heal her, how would she feel about it? Would she just say thanks? Nothing at all, just thanks? Or am I hoping for something more to happen?" He clenched his fists in frustration. "What am I thinking?" He said aloud. "I'm horrible." Simon never understood back then. He didn't know what it meant to pray for a miracle, or the price of one. 

 

At the breakfast table, Clary was silent. Jocelyn and Jonathan were having a conversation about school and Valentine was reading the paper. The redhead stared at her eggs. Images of Alec flashed before her eyes. Images of him fighting, smiling, and the image of him being decapitated by that horrible witch. 

"Clary." Jocelyn said, bringing her attention back to reality. "You should get moving, you're gonna be late to school." Clary nodded and began to eat her breakfast. As soon as the food touched her mouth, she began to cry. 

"Woah, Clary whats wrong?" Jonathan asked. 

"Is something wrong with your eggs?" Valentine asked.

"No." Clary cried, "They're good. Really good." She wiped her tears away, "I'm alive, and your cooking is so good Dad." 

Jocelyn stared at her daughter worriedly, and Jonathan looked at her confused. Clary couldn't tell them. Nobody knew but her, Simon, and Jace. They wouldn't believe her anyways. 

 

Simon and Maureen gossiped and laughed the entire way to school. It was like he didn't recall anything that happened the night before. Lilith trailed behind Clary slowly. She didn't say anything. 

"Simon." Clary said through telepathy, "We need to talk, please."

"Sorry, not now. We'll talk later." He responded and continued to gossip with Maureen.

 

The duo sat alone during lunch. They didn't speak. Neither of them knew what to say. 

"It feels like we're in a different country, doesn't it?" Clary said. Simon nodded, "Even though nothing's changed, our school is the same, our class, Maureen. It's all the same. But it still feels like we're surrounded by strangers."

Simon looked up, "No one else knows, thats why. No one knows about witches, or Alec. It's like everyone else is living in a totally different world than us. You and me, we're the only ones who know about this stuff thats been happening lately."

"Simon.." Clary said softly.

"Everything changed a long time ago, didn't it." He said. "The two of us should have figured that out sooner, don't you think?" Clary didn't respond. "So after all of this, after everything we've seen, do you still want to become a witch hunter?" Simon asked her. Clary bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I thought so." Simon responded. He put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Tears welled in Clary's eyes again. "Hey, I understand." He said.

"I know its unfair and selfish to back out now, but I can't. Just thinking about the way Alec died, even now, it gets so hard to breathe." Clary buried her face in her hands. "I don't want that." Simon pulled her into a hug as she sobbed.

"Alec really was the nicest person. But in order for us to understand what it takes, the kind of courage it takes to fight, he.. he had to.." Simon couldn't finish his sentence. He took a deep breath and looked over at the creature standing before them. "Lilith, what's going to happen to us now? Now that Alec's gone, is there someone who's going to protect the city from witches?"

"This city has been Alec's for a long time." Lilith began, "Once the other witch hunters find out he's gone, they'll come. I'm sure someone will come around soon to pick up the hunt." 

"And then what, all they're gonna care about is finding grief seeds. Just like that transfer student." Simon replied coldly.

"It's true, most witch hunters hunt for their own benefit." Lilith explained, "It's normal to want to be paid for your work. Alec was a rare breed."

"But then-"

"You don't have the right to judge their actions though." Lilith interrupted him. "Only witch hunters have that right. They share the same destiny after all." The duo stayed quiet, and Lilith sighed. "I understand what you're thinking. It's a shame, but I can't force you two to become witch hunters. Goodbye then, I'm off to search for other people who have a greater need to become witch hunters."

Clary frowned, "I'm sorry Lilith."

"No, I'm sorry." She said, "I apologize for getting you two all mixed up in this. We weren't together for very long, but it was fun. Thank you Clary Fairchild." Lilith then took off to begin her search for more potential witch hunters.

 

After school, Clary took a trip to Alec's apartment complex. She looked at each sign until she found one that said "ALEC LIGHTWOOD" in bold. She grasped the door handle and went to see if it was unlocked. To her surprise, it was. All of the lights were off in his apartment. There was an unfinished cup of tea sitting on the coffee table in the living room. Clary frowned at the thought that Alec had planned on cleaning it up when he got home. "I'm sorry." She said out loud. "I was so weak." Tears streamed down her cheeks once again, "I'm sorry."

Ten minutes later, the redhead pulled herself together and left the apartment. She took the elevator down to the first floor and walked through the lobby to the front doors. As the automatic doors opened for her, she stepped out to see Jace standing in front of her. "Jace." She said surprised as she wiped stray tears away. 

The blond boy walked towards her, "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. It couldn't be helped." Clary sighed in response. "So then, have you accepted my warning?"

Clary nodded, "Yeah." The two began to walk down the road together. "I keep thinking, if only I had listened to you before-"

"If you had, it wouldn't have changed Alec's fate." Jace paused, "I was able to change yours though, so that's good."

"You know Jace, I get the feeling you're a veteran at this too. Like Alec but.. different."

"I can't deny it." He responded. 

"And I guess.. you've seen lots of people die horribly, haven't you?" Clary asked.

"I have."

"How many?"

"I gave up counting long ago." He replied.

Clary looked down, "Alec's apartment.. Is it just going to stay like that?" 

Jace nodded, "Most likely, he didn't really have any family to speak of. He had his boyfriend, I believe his name was Magnus. But he died years ago." The blond took a breath and sighed, "It'll be a very long time before he's reported missing.

"No one's gonna notice Alec's dead?" 

"it can't be helped. If you die in a labyrinth your body stays there." Jace explained. "That means in this world he'll be considered a missing person, forever. It's a fate all witch hunters can look forward to eventually."

Clary gasped. "That's awful! Alec was all alone! He fought to protect everyone, and now you're saying no one will know he's gone? Thats horrible!" She cried.

"It's a condition of the contract we make in exchange for our powers. We're not protectors. We fight for our wishes and this is how we pay for them." Jace told her. "if we die and no one remembers us, I guess thats just the way it is." 

"I'll remember him!" Clary said. "I promise, I'll never forget him!"

Jace turned, "I see. Alec Lightwood is lucky. He'd be grateful to hear that. How I envy her." he said in a low voice.

"I wouldn't forget you either Jace! How you saved us yesterday, I'm always going to remember you!" Clary responded, partially defending herself. She wasn't lying. She would never forget Jace Herondale.

After a couple seconds, Jace finally spoke, "You're too kind. Remember this and take it to heart. Kindness sometimes leads to even greater tragedy." He turned back and continued walking, leaving Clary taken back by what he had told her. 

 

Simon sat quietly on the chair next to Maia's bed. She was listening to music and staring out the window. "What are you listening to?" He asked lightheartedly.

"The Nutcracker soundtrack." She responded without turning to face him. 

"Oh, I watched the ballet! It's beautiful." Simon said. He waited for Maia's response, but nothing came. "You know, its kinda funny. People don't see me as the type of guy who watches ballet. But I actually really enjoy it! Whenever I tell someone I'm going to see a show, you should see their faces! People seem to be impressed that I know about this stuff." He laughed. There was still no response from Maia. "Everything I know is because of you." He said. "Seriously, I would have never got into watching ballet or listening to the classical music if it weren't for you, ya know?"

"Hey Simon?" Maia finally said, "Cut it out, stop torturing me already." She took her earbuds out and turned to face him. "Why do you keep coming here? Do you think I like listening to this music? It's like you're trying to hurt me!" She said bitterly.

Simon gasped. It wasn't his intention at all. "But Maia, you loved listening to this music, you-"

"I don't want to hear this shit anymore! What's the point if I can't even dance to it! All I can do is listen!" She yelled. "I just- I-" Her breath hitched and she yelled. Maia slammed her fist into the CD, smashing it and cutting herself in the process. Simon stood up and grabbed her arm and held it down to keep her from smashing the CD again. "I'm useless!" She cried. I can't move or feel my legs anymore! I'll never be able to dance again!"

Simon put on a smile for her, "You don't know that, someday, somehow, don't give up hope! I know the doctors will figure something out!" 

"But they told me to give up!" The brunette cried. "They said I'll never dance again. Unless magic and miracles are real." 

"But they are!" Simon said. Maia looked up at him in confusion, "Miracles and magic are real!" Simon looked up and saw the silhouette of Lilith outside the window, watching him from afar.

 

When Clary was talking to Jace, she realized that maybe they could be friends one day. She wondered why he and Alec didn't get along. He didn't seem bad. She knew he was on the right side. After all, he saved her and Simon from death. 

The redhead looked at the people around her as she made her way home. Through an alleyway, she saw someone who looked like Maureen walking on the other street. She turned to get a better look at the girl and realized it was Maureen. "Hey, Maureen!" She said as she ran towards her. "I thought you had a gig tonight! Where are you-" Clary stopped dead in her tracks. She saw a familiar mark on Maureen's neck. It was a witch's kiss. Clary ran towards her friend and stopped in front of her. "Hey, Maureen!" She shook her a bit.

"Oh hey Clary!" Maureen said, slurring her words. She seemed as if she were in a trance. 

"What happened to you? Do you know where you are or where you're going?" Clary asked.

"Where am I going?" Maureen giggled, "I'm going somewhere wonderful!" 

The redhead gasped. "Maureen.."

"Oh yes! You must come too!" She moved so Clary wasn't in her way and continued walking, "You'll see, it'll be wonderful!" She swayed down the streets and Clary trailed behind worriedly.

"What should I do?" She thought. This couldn't be happening!

More and more people joined the two girls walking sluggishly. They all had the marks on their necks. Clary thought about calling Jace, until she realized she didn't have his number. 

She followed the group of people inside an abandoned warehouse. They all sat around waiting for the others to come in. Clary followed Maureen through the wave of people muttering things to themselves. 

"I'm worthless." One man said.

"I'm a failure." Another woman spoke. 

Clary was mortified. She had never seen anything like this. A woman stepped forward with a bucket and two white bottles in her hands. She knelt down and placed the bucket on the ground. She then opened the white bottles and poured the liquids into the buckets. Clary recognized the bottles as bleach and began to panic. "Stop!" Clary yelled at the woman. She went to run towards the woman when rough hands grabbed her and held her back. "This is a sacred ceremony, and we can't have you interrupting it." Maureen said. 

"Those chemicals are dangerous! If you drink those everyone could die!"

"Yes! We're all going to go on a wonderful journey to a magnificent new world!" Maureen exclaimed. "Don't you see what an amazing opportunity this is?" She extended an arm out to show their surroundings. "We can finally get rid of these bodies that hold us back! Oh Clary, in a little while you'll understand too!" 

Clary panicked as everyone around them clapped for her friend. "Let go of me!" She yelled as she tore away from Maureen's grip. She ran towards the bucket filled with bleach and grabbed it. She ran to the nearest window and used all of her force to through it out. She shattered the glass but at least the bleach was gone. She turned to face the crowd to see their angry faces. They all stalked towards her like angry zombies. The redhead looked around and found an opened door to another room in the warehouse. She ran to it and slammed it shut, locking it from the people trying to break in. "What do I do? What do I do?" She panicked. 

The room began to morph into a labyrinth and it engulfed her. The creatures inside mocked her panicked voice as they grabbed onto her. Everything flashed and she opened her eyes again. She felt and looked as thin as paper floating as the world around her spun. Images of a carousel danced around her now two-dimensional body. The creatures flew towards her with wicked grins on their faces. They held small TV's in their hands and images of Alec flashed across the screen. The horses on the carousels had TV's on their backs as well. They all had images of Alec. Clary thought that maybe this was her punishment for being so weak. She watched as his death played on repeat over and over again. Clary thought that this was what she deserved. 

The creatures laughed at her as the grabbed her arms and legs and began pulling. Her body began to stretch out like rubber. She felt immense pressure from the pulling and she let out a scream. Suddenly, someone dressed in all black used a bright glowing sword to kill all of the creatures holding onto her. The TV's shattered and Clary returned to her normal three-dimensional state. She looked to see who her savior was and gasped when she saw that it was Simon. He glanced back at her, then quickly went back to fighting. "You're so going down!" He yelled as he drove his sword through the TVs and the smiling creatures. The world around them exploded in a flash of color and static, and everything was returned to normal. Everyone outside the door laid on the ground unconscious. The marks on their necks were gone. 

Clary looked up at Simon in utter shock. "You.. You.."

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." He smiled, "I guess I cut it a little too close."

"Simon.." 

The boy laughed, "I guess you could say I had a change of heart." He saw the worried look on Clary's face. He couldn't blame her after what had happened. "Don't worry I'll be fine. I mean, I did pretty good for my first time don't you think?"

"Yeah, but-" 

"How could you?!" Jace said angrily.

"You're late, transfer student." Simon said with a snarky tone.

 

In the hospital, Maia shot awake. Something had changed. She could feel her legs. She pulled the blanket off of her and looked at her legs. She bent them and flexed her feet. "What the hell?" She said with a shaky voice. Maia Roberts was no longer paralyzed.

 

"I didn't expect you to show up." Lilith said. She looked at the girl sitting beside her, watching over the city. 

"I came all this way because I heard Alec bought it." The girl said. She turned to face Lilith, "Tell me, what's the deal huh? This isn't anything like you said!" The girl had long black hair and brown eyes. Her lips were painted red and she had beautiful long lashes. 

"I apologize, but this territory has been taken over by another witch hunter. He made a contract with me a little while ago."

"What the hell!" She exclaimed in frustration. "I couldn't live with myself if I handed over prime territory to some rookie." She said. "That'd be crazy."

"What are you going to do Isabelle?" Lilith asked.

"Simple, I'll just put his dumb rookie ass out of commission." Her red lips curled up in a confident grin, "Permanently."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simon made his wish to become a witch hunter. Now we'll see how he does as he tries to follow in Alec's footsteps. Now we'll see if he regrets it or not. Meanwhile, another witch hunter is out to get him so she can take over New York City for herself. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos if you enjoyed it!


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